Magnet Releasing Picks Up SXSW Horror Thriller 'Honeymoon'

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired world rights to Honeymoon, the directorial debut from Leigh Janiak.

The film, which stars Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey) and Harry Treadaway (The Lone Ranger, Penny Dreadful), made its world premiere at SXSW earlier this month.

Janiak co-wrote the film with Phil Graziadei.

The story revolves around a young newlywed couple who travel to remote lake country for their honeymoon, where the promise of private romance awaits. Shortly after they arrive, the husband finds his wife wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night. As she becomes more distant and her behavior increasingly peculiar, he begins to suspect something more sinister than sleepwalking.

Patrick Baker and Esme Howard produced. Christina Rogers and the Magnolia Pictures International team will be representing the film at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

Honeymoon also will screen next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. Magnet will release the film later in the year.

"Honeymoon is an auspicious debut from the very talented Leigh Janiak, who has a preternatural mastery of tone and mounting dread, not to mention a deft hand with actors," Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles said. "Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway have stunning chemistry -- they light up the screen."

Added Janiak: "I feel incredibly honored to have my first feature in Magnet's smart and expert hands. I'm so excited to work with them -- they're the perfect home for the film and I know they will do great things with it."

The deal was negotiated by Dori Begley and Peter Van Steemburg. ICM Partners and attorney Evan Krauss repped the filmmakers.